Refrigerator car



, I I 1,551,190 D. L. Remotos l RFaIGEnATo GAR ruled Jan. a. 1923 2 sheets-sheet, 1

FIEL! Oct. r

' I 1,557,190 D L.. REYNOLDS RE'FRIGERATOR GAR Filed Jan. 8. 1923 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 FIE.5

Patented Oct. 13, 1925.

Unirse srares PATENT QFFICE.'

DAMIAN I. REYNLDS, 0F SAN FRNCISG, CLIFORNA, .ASSIGNOB OF ONE-em T0 LUTHER L. YATES, OF SAN FRANCISC, GALIFORNIA.

BEFRIGERTR CAR.

l iApplication med January 1923. Serial No; 611,481.,

incident to railroad operation, and that is constructed in such a way that those parts most likely to require replacement or repair may yreadily be removed for that purpose.

lt is another object of my invention provide an improved form of bulkhead construction between the ice compartment and the cargo compartment that is more de sirable in service'than prior forms. 4

Although refrigerator .cars are especially designed for the shipment of perishable cargo, such as fruits, they are very often used for other classes of freight. This cond1t1on 1s a common one for example where,

as on the Pacific coast, the amount of 'perishable outgoing freight far exceeds the amount of such freight that is incoming. `instead of returning the surplus refrigerator cars empty to the Pacific coast, itis common to utilize the cargo space for durable freight. When such cars are used for this service, it has been comparatively easy for looters without detection to enter the car through the ice loadngfhatchway, and to gain access from the -ice compartmentto the cargo compartment by either battering away the bulkhead between the compartments, or else by removing the grate bars vupon which the 'cakes of ice are adapted to rest-and utilize the air ducts thereunder- It is for extracting some of Ithe' cargo.

myinvention to obst'ill another object of viate such occurrences. This I accomplish by vconstructing the` ice grate and the bulk,.

Vhead "so as toconceal and protectfrom destruction the various44 fastening devices ern'- ployed .in the construction of these elements, and' alsol rlo choosing materials fof 4'such characteristics thatv it is difficult to bend, cut, break or loosen the component vparts of the bulkhead or of the ice grate,

vsnlating construction.

' My invention possesses other advantageous features, some of which, with the foregoing, will beset forth at, length in the following description, where ,I shall outline in full those forms of the invention which I have selected for illustration in the drawings accompanying and forming part of the present specication. Although I have shown-'in the kdrawings but a few embodiments of my invention, it is to be understood that I do Anot desire to be limited thereto, since the inventionvas expressed in the claims may be embodied in other' forms also.

Referring to the drawings: `ltigure l is a cross sectional view taken along' plane l-l of Fig. 2'of a car embodying my invention; Fig. 2 is a horizontal sectional view, taken along plane 2-2 `of Fig. l, of the ice compartnient andi bulkhead shown in Fig, l;l Fig. 3 is a vertical sectional view, taken along plane 33 of Fi i of the`ice compertinent and bulkhea Fig. 4 is a detail perspective view of one of the elements of the metal screening used inthe bulkhead construction;

Fig..v 5 is an enlarged verticalsectional view of the ice gratas and their supports, showing themanncr in which they are locked in place; Fig; 6 is an enlarged Adetail view, partly in section, of the locking arrangement for the grate; l A

Fig. 7 's a sectional view, mainly diagrammatic illustrating the manner in whichl the grates may be removed for cleaning or repairsafter they are unlocked; and l Figs. 8 and 9 are enlarged detail views of modified forms of construction for the bulkhead.

ln the presentinstance my invention is.

shown as applied to a refrigerator car having the usual construction for its exterior walls74 but 1t .1s of course `possible to utilize Athe invention in connection with other types vof cargo carrying vehicles. The exterior wall construction shown forms no part of my present invention, and it is therefore unnecessary ,to vset forth-a detailed description thereof.;l Referring to Figs. 1, 2, and 3,` the car floor 11,'the .sides 12, and the top lB'are shown as made up of several layers of materials adapted to rovide .a heat inthe sloping top 13 there are provided Aone or more'hatches 14 that are removable for permitting ice toA be placed into the ice compartment 15, lo-

cated at the end of the car. It is through -these hatchways that looters or other unauthorized persons may readily secure entrance into the car without material risk of in Flgs. 1 and 2, and in fact they may be' fastened together as by welding, riveting or bolting. Furthermore it may under certain circumstances be advisable to :utilize standard structural channel shapes or even wood/posts for these sides 19, in which case the members 18 will be simply fiat iieces of sheet metal attached to the channe iianges or to the sides of the post. These latter modifications are illustrated in Figs. 8 and `9, respectively. In Fig. 8, the channels 56 are placed back to back to form a columnar support for the members 18; and in Fig. 9, the wood post 57 serves this purpose.

On the cargo side of these members 18, there may 'be provided a wall construction 20, formed of appropriate la ers of such material as Wood, pa er and ail-felt, and fastened to the' ree ges of the side `mem bers 19. This .wall 20 does not extend entirely from top to bottom of the-car; instead there is a substantial space ybetween the top of the wall 20 and the roof of the car, as well' as between the bottom of wall 20 and, the floor of the car. In this way it is possible, by providing appropriate openings at the top and bottom of' members 18, to secure acirculation of air between the ice compartment 15 and the cargo compartment 17. lAs shown most clearly in Fig. 4, r a series of perforations 21 near the top of.v

these members and anl opening 22 near the bottom thereof serve this. purpose; Air from the cargo compartment 17 may then enter the ice compartment 15 through apertures 21, travel downwardly through the ice compartment, and out through openings 22 back into the'cargo compartment 17.

One of the important features of the construction of the bulkhead 16 is the manner in which it is fastened tothe interior of the car, whereby the fastening means are inaccessible fro`m the ice compartment 15. Thus at the top, the members 18 have a horizontal ange 23; extending backwardly toward the cargo compartment 17, which is fastened, as by lag screws 24, to the roof timber 25. At the bottom, a series of shoes compa 26 is provided, fastened to the sill 27 at the edge of the ice compartment 15, and each of the shoes has an upstanding ear 28 that is adapted to enter into the channeled sides 19V-and to be riveted thereto, as shown most clearly in Fig. 3. It is impossible to gain access tothe shoes 26 from the ice compartment 15, because the ice grate 29 which is locked in, position, intervenes between this compartment and the shoes. Similarly, the lag screws 24 at the top of the bulkhead lcannot'be reached except'from the cargo rtment. p

-The abutting sides 19 of adjacent metal sections 18 provide substantially a series of rigid posts or columns between which the' sections 18 extend, and at the bottom of which the supporting shoes 26 are attached.

It is to bevnoted that between these posts orcolumns, the sections 18 possess considerable resiliency, and it is a very diiicult matter by ordinary/'pounding for example` with a hammer or crowbar to loosen these sections or to bend or break them. (By proper. choice 'of either soft metal or of specially treated metal -it is possible to increase its resistance to` such usage. Furthermore I prefer to space the apertures 21 at the top of the sectionsy 18 relatively far apart so that a substantial amount of metal between apertures may be left.

The ice in compartment 15 rests upon thc grate 29, underneathv which is disposed a rust-proof drip pan 30. Drains 31 with guards 32 may be provided to carry oli' the water that collects in the -pan 30 from the ice as it melts. The grate 29 is formed of a series of parallel bars 33, shown in the' present instance as formed' of T-bars, with the horizontal leg lowermost and appropriatelyI fastened, -as by welding, to the supporting angles 34, 35. The entiregrate as,- sembly is adapted to be held between a pair of guide supports 36 and 37, in the present instance shown as channel irons between the flanges of which the ends of bars 33 are disposed. These grate bars 33 are for this purpose narrowed down at the ends,- as shownat 38, so that these ends may readily enter between the flanges of the channels 36 and 37, while at the same time the ice is permitted to rest upon the high portion of the bars and to clear by an appreciable amount v the tops of the sup'orts 36 and 37. The channel 36 is fastene toa series of rests 39. These rests each have a portion 40 yresting' against the back of the channel 36, another portion 41 upon which the bottom ilangeis isposed, and a verticall portion 42. This les,

`latter portion serves, in combination'` with the other extremity of rest 39,v for 'the at-i tachment of these rests to theinside of the car. As shown mostclearly in Fig. 2, th:-

channels 36'and 37 extend substantlally en'- tirely across the car. In order to close up iee- ` attached to the supports 34; the secondsec-v the ends of thechannels in a secure manner, angle irons 58 are utilizedat these points.

\ For purposes of cleaning or repairs, it is required that the grate 29 be readily removable from its supports 36 and 37. It is for facilitating this removal thatthe grate- 29 is -made up in a'plurality of sections, so that it may, section by section, be slipped in be- .tween the anges of thel channels 36 and 37, at a place, such as 43, where the top flange is cut away to permit this insertion of the grates. In the present instance there are four grate sections, but of course as many sections could be provided as may be necessary. These four'sections, as shown mostclearly in Fig. 1, may be enumerated as follows: The first section at the extreme right of this yfigure includes those bars 33 that are tion includes thosebars that are attachedl to supports 35. The third and fourthvsections are the symmetrical equivalents of the second and first respectively. TheI open pori tion 43 of the supports 36 and 37 is located so that a comparatively slight sliding movement of one of the sections within supports 36, 37 is suiiicient to positionl the Vsection properly for its removal. Thus in thisin'.,

stance that section supported ,on bars 35 at the right of Fig. 1 may be slid slightly to the right and then lifted out through the space 43, as indicated most clearlyin Fig. 7. In order to facilitate the removal of all of the sections, even those remote from the opening 43, the sections may be connected to each other to permit relative movement between them. For this purpose supports 34 and 35 are hinged together, as by the aid ofthe.

pivot pin 44. This pin is located 'directly underneath the center of one ofthe bars 33,

. so that it may the better be out of reach of an unauthorized person in the ice compartment 15. By withdrawing the second section of the grate 29, the first section may also readily be passed through the opening 43. After this is accomplished, the third and fourth sections may in a similar manner be removed. The reverse operation of inserting the grate is evident from the description of its removal.

In order to prevent the unauthorized -removal of the grate bars, I prefer to provide a lock for them, whereby it is impossible to .slide the sections within thechannel guides 36 and 37. In this way,y the openings 22 in the b llkhead 18 are out of reach and the car cannot be readily pilfered. Thelocking arrangement ,is shown most clearly in Figs. 3,5, `6 and 7 and includes-a pairof locking bars 45,"shown in the present instance as 'a bolt'of any usual type. These bars 45 are .arranged kto engage slots 46 located at the bottoml of-the supports 35 for the two central grate sections. The bars 45 may how ever be dropped so as tol clear these slots and permit movement of the grate sections. For this urpose a member 47 is fastened, as by welding, to the bottom flange of support 36, and has a pair of slots 50 to accommodate both rods 45. A rib or bead 48 on member 47 is adapted to engage the' heads 49 of the bolts 45 and prevent their removal from the slot 50. The other support 37 carries an apertured member 51 through wh-ich bolt 45 projects. Nuts 52 serve to holdthe rod or bolt 45 in place, and the extremity. of the rod is upset as shown at 53 to' prevent the nuts from .being removed. By loosening nuts 52 sufiiciently, the rod 45 may readily be pusled to the right far enough so that its head 49 clears the bead 48, and the rod Y Y `is free to drop below the supports 34.- Sufficient clearance is permitted for vthese bars in the member 51 so as to permit complete disengagement of the rod 45 from the slots 46 in the supports 34. The nuts 52 may b'e' A'manipulated only vfrom the cargo side of -bu/lkhead 16p` Alooter in the ice compart.

ment 15 is thus effectually prevented from lifting out the grate bars.

- In order to prevent the ice from coming -in contact with the sides of the car, Iprefer to cover` the sides of the ice compartment with wire screening 54 except the bulkhead side. This screeningmay be attached in any appropriate manner,l as for example to the channel 36 and the angle irons 42. A relatively narrow strip 55 of the screening may also be 'placed back of the bulkhead openings 21, in the cargo compartment 17.

-I claim: v 1. In a cargo vehicle having a pair of compartments, a'bulkhead between the com-v partments, comprising a plurality of fiat metallic sections, channel shaped sides attached to the backs of the sections, the sides of adjacent sections being in abutting relation and forming a column, and means for fastening the side members together.

2. In a cargo vehicle having a pair of compartments, a bulkhead between the compartabutting sides for the sections extending in one direction only, said sides forming posts, :and supports Ifor the posts, said sup orts eachbeing attached 'to the linterior o the vehicle and each having an extended ro` jection engaging with the extremity o its corresponding post.

4. In an ice compartment hicle, bars/ forming an ice grate and arfor a cargo veranged to support ice located in the space above them, and means comprising stationary and lmovable parts for locking the bars in place, all of the movable parts being wholly external of said space.

5. In an ice compartment for a lcargo vehicle, bars forming an ice grate, supporting bars below,the grate to which supporting bars the grate bars are attached, guides for supportin the grate within the compartment, sai grate being slidable in the guides for removing it, and means for preventing the grate romsliding.

6. In an ice compartment for a cargo vehicle, a series of bars forming an ice grate, ay plurality of mechanically connected but relatively movable supports for the bars, forming therewith grate sections, and ay guide for the sections, said guide having a pairv of flanges forming a channel for accommodating the ends of the bars, one -of the flanges being cut away for a short space in order to permit the removal of the grate sections.

7. In an ice compartment for a cargo vehicle, a series of bars forming an ice grate,

a plurality of mechanically connected but relatively movable supports for the bars, a guide having a pair of `flanges forming a channel' for accommodating the ends of the bars, one of said flanges being so formed that' the sections may be inserted and removed from the guide, and means for locking the sections against movement relatively to the guide.

8. In an ice compartment Ifor a cargo vehicle, a plurality of grate sections connected pivotally, a channel guide member extending substantially entirely around the compartment for the' grate sections, one of the flanges of the channel being interrupted so as to permit withdrawal of the grate sections, and lockingbars engaging one of the sections for preventing them from being rc,

9. In an ice compartment for a cargo vehicle, a plurality of grate sections hingcdly connected together, a guide having flanges between which the edges of the grate sections are disposed, the top fiange being cut away for a short distance to permit with'- drawal of the grate, and a locking bar below the grate engaging one of the sections for preventing its removal. 10. In an ice compartment for a cargo vehicle, a plurality of gratesections near the bottom of the com artment and arranged to support ice locat in thespace above them, and means for. locking the sections against removal, comprising a locking bar engaging the grate and accessible only from outside said space, and releasing means on said bar.

11. A cargo vehicle having an ice comartment, a cargo compartment, a bulkhead tween the compartments, and a removableice grate nearthe bottom of the ice compartment, said grate being arranged to support ice in the space above it, characterized by the fact that means are provided for fastening in the bulkhead that is located entirely exterior to said space, and that locking means for-the grate is provided, having movable and stationary parts, all of the movable parts being also located exterior to said space. v v

12. In an, ice compartment for-a cargo vehicle, bars :forming an ice grate, groovedguides 'for' slidably supportingthe bars in the compartment, and means for preventing the bars from sliding.

13. In an ice Icompartment for a cargo vehicle, a series of bars forming an ice grate, and a guide for the bars, said guide having a pair of ilanges .forming a channel for accommodating the ends of the bars, one of the flanges being cut away for a short distance in order to permit the removal of the bars.

14. In an ice compartment for a cargo vehicle, a series of bars forming an ice grate, a guide :for the barszl-said guide having a pair of Hanges formlng a channel for accommodating the ends of the bars, one ef the flanges being cut away for a short distance in order to permit the removal ofthe bars, and means cooperating with the grate for locking the bars against movement relatively to the guide.

15. In a refrigerator car having an ice compartment andl a cargo compartment, a

bulkhead between said compartments comprising a plurality of vertically extending sections placed with their vertical lateral edges substantially abutting, each of said sections comprising a sheet metal wall having flanged lateral edges for reinforcing said wall, means for connecting the` lateral flanges of adjoining sections, a horizontally extending flange at the upper end of cach section, means for securing said horizontal- :ly extendingflange at the upper part of the car, a sill member secured to the floor of thecar, and means for fastening the lower eglds of Said lateral flanges to said sill mem' 16. In a refrigerator car having an icey compartment and a cargo compartment, a

grate supported in the bottom of said ice compartment, horizontal guides for said grate, said grate being shiftable between two positions on said guides, and means 'for preventing the removal of said grate when 1n one of said positions.

. 17. In a refrigerator car having an ice compartment/and a cargo. compartment, a

grate supported adjacent the bottom of said ice compartment, horizontal guides for said grate, said grate beingshiftable' between twopositions on said guides, means for preventlng removal of said grate when in one lof said positions, and lock means releasable'iatteif, said pivoted grate sections being re- 10 only from said cargo compartment for holdmovable from said guide means when shifting'said grate in said last-named position. ed to one position relative to said :guide 18. In a refrigerator oar having an ice means, and means for looking said grate seocompartment, a pair of grate sections `sup tions against removal when shifted to anported adjacentthe bottom oi said ice comother position relative to said guide means. 15

partment, said grate sections being pivotal- 1n testimony whereof, have hereunto set 1y connected, guide means for Said grate seomy hand.

tions permitting shifting movement of the DAMIAN L. REYNOLDS. 

